Creative Work

Penny Loafer Pale Ale

Past Food Systems Climate

Co-creator, 2019 to 2019

Penny Loafer Pale Ale was a Denver-area collaboration between The Post Brewing Co., Izzio Artisan Bakery, Metro Caring and Denver Food Rescue that turned surplus bakery bread into a commercially sold pale ale. Izzio's unsold ciabatta and sourdough was rescued and mashed in at The Post's Lafayette brewhouse in place of part of the malted grain, and one dollar from every pint sold was donated to Metro Caring and Denver Food Rescue. The donation was split three ways between the brewery, the retail account and the drinker, so the fundraising rode on ordinary beer sales rather than on a one-time charity event.

About 30% of what a bakery makes never gets sold.

Izzio Artisan Bakery had unsold ciabatta and sourdough going out the back door every week. The Post Brewing Co. had a brewhouse in Lafayette. Bread and beer start from the same grain, so we put the bread in the mash in place of part of the malt, and it came back out as a pale ale.

One dollar from every pint went to Metro Caring and Denver Food Rescue. That dollar was split three ways between the brewery, the retail account and the drinker, which is the part I still like best. The fundraising rode on ordinary beer sales instead of a one-time charity event, so nobody had to decide to be generous. They just had to order a beer.

I co-created Penny Loafer Pale Ale in 2019.

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Data refreshed Sep 24, 2026, 1:23 PM Mountain Time. Source: Notion Impact Ledger.